First Lutheran Church
Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
First Lutheran Church. Founded as the First English Lutheran Church in Louisville in June 1872. The present Gothic-style facade and sanctuary, designed by Louisville architect Mason Maury, was dedicated in May 1905 in the midst of a thriving residential neighborhood. Over. The church and its members gave vital aid to families during the 1937 flood, even though the level of water inside the church itself nearly reached the 2nd floor sanctuary. Soldiers from Fort Knox and Bowman Field came here weekly to the Lutheran Service Center to socialize and worship during WWII. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Dedicated November 5, 2017.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Founded in June 1872 as the First English Lutheran Church, this Louisville congregation dedicated its present Gothic-style sanctuary in 1905, designed by local architect Mason Maury. During the great flood of 1937 the church and its members aided stricken families even as floodwater nearly reached the second-floor sanctuary. In World War II, soldiers from Fort Knox and Bowman Field gathered here each week at the Lutheran Service Center to socialize and worship.
Why it matters
The church's story—immigrant faith, flood relief, and wartime hospitality—shows how a congregation anchored its neighborhood through crisis and conflict.
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Related people
- · Mason Maury
Related events
- · Ohio River Flood of 1937
- · World War II
Themes & tags
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